


Machines

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Ficlet, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 19:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16247957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Spock finds Jim in the living room.





	Machines

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

The book is dry and unflatteringly repetitive, but it’s on the best sellers list, and Spock is determined to at least _try_ and understand his peers before he inevitably disappoints them. He rereads the same paragraph for a third time, trying vainly to comprehend the main character’s motivation, but her actions still feel inherently illogical. If Spock were in her position, he would certainly commandeer his mother’s vehicle and rescue his friend without waiting for the authorities to arrive and give permission to do so. He’s quite confident that by the time they do, that friend will have already been torn apart by the wild le matya that was spotted earlier in chapter three. Perhaps that death is vital to the story, and it will somehow come back to teach the young Vulcan some important lesson, as did her last five unfortunate trials. But Spock still can’t help but think he’d like the book better if she’d be more proactive and _not_ let people die.

A sudden burst of noise startles Spock out from his reverie. He looks up from his tablet, glancing towards the ajar door to his bedroom. A pleasant yip echoes down the hall, and Spock recognizes it as I-Chaya’s voice. But the other voice wasn’t. As far as Spock knows, his father’s still out, and they don’t have any visitors. 

Finding real life surprisingly more intriguing than his book, Spock sets it down. He wanders out into the hall and follows it towards the living room, where he pauses in the threshold, looking on at the spectacle before him. I-Chaya’s on his hind legs, licking away at a peach-coloured face that laughs in plain delight.

“Jim?”

The young man, roughly the same height and approximate age as Spock, glances his way with a warm, welcoming smile that does strange things to Spock’s stomach. I-Chaya licks at his chin, and Jim laughs again, petting I-Chaya vigorously between the ears. To Spock, he calls, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Spock dazedly repeats. He can’t help but note, “You are outside of the laboratory.”

“Mhm,” Jim hums, while I-Chaya nuzzles into him and abruptly drops to the floor, rolling over. Jim bends down to scratch I-Chaya’s stomach, which has I-Chaya whining with glee. Jim smiles fondly at him before returning all attention to Spock and explaining, “Sarek finish his work. He did a pretty great job too, if you ask me.”

Spock didn’t. The work can’t be finished. There are too many things... _off_. “Your ears are round.”

“Yeah, he said he wanted people to be able to easily distinguish me from proper Vulcans. ...Apparently the light hair and blue eyes weren’t enough.” He shrugs his shoulders. Spock remembers when his father first purchased the blue optical implants. He’d thought them strange at the time, but in the context of Jim’s face, Spock can admit that they are aesthetically pleasing. 

Like most of Jim.

The more he looks at Jim, the more he thinks Jim doesn’t look so much _wrong_ as... exotic. Interesting. He’s sculpted to perfection, but that’s to be expected. Spock knows his father is highly skilled. 

Spock doesn’t point out anything else. Words have failed him. Jim pats I-Chaya’s stomach a final time and pushes up to his feet, to I-Chaya’s saddened whine. Evidently, Spock’s won the attention battle. Jim asks him, “Can I help you with anything? Like studying for Starfleet, or something?”

In a heartbeat, Spock’s cheeks are green—he knows they are. He freezes up, unsure of what to say or do, but he’s sure the shameful fear and shock are evident in the roundness of his eyes. When he’d whispered that to the half-finished android stored in his father’s basement nearly half a year ago, he’d been at his wits’ end—he needed to tell _someone_ , but he couldn’t let anyone know. He didn’t know the then-nameless android was even turned on. Jim’s smile drops like he can sense Spock’s distress, even though Spock’s sure an android couldn’t be any form of telepath. 

Jim steps closer, lowers his voice, and promises, “Don’t worry, I can keep a secret. And I think it’s really cool that you want to go see the stars, no matter what anyone thinks.”

Spock’s heart is beating loudly against his side. Somewhere in the distance, a door clicks.

The sound of feet shuffle in, and I-Chaya rights himself and meanders off, likely to greet his original master. Jim reaches out to touch and squeeze Spock’s shoulder, then quickly drops his hand just before Sarek enters the living room. 

Without stopping for a proper greeting, Sarek says, “Ah, Spock. I see you have formally met Jim. I believe I have finally completed him.”

Spock answers, “Yes. He is... different than I expected.”

“Yes. I have exaggerated his programming as a means to study emotionalism. It should prove for some rather enlightening experiments that could not be conscionably carried out on Vulcans.”

Spock squeaks, “Oh.” And then, “When do they start?”

Jim looks at Sarek expectantly. Sarek replies to Spock without so much as a glance in Jim’s direction, “Tomorrow. At the moment, I have classes to prepare for, but I intend to bring him to the university with me then.”

Spock dares to ask, unable to meet Jim’s eyes, “May I borrow him in the meantime?”

Sarek lifts a brow. But he decides, “Very well.”

And Jim chirps, “Cool.” He even reaches out to clasp Spock’s hand in his. It’s inconceivably _warm_.

Jim tugs Spock back down the hall towards Spock’s bedroom, I-Chaya happily following along.


End file.
